4 Ways to Help Employees and Clients Fight Off Infections

Welcome to flu season, ladies and gents. As the weather grows colder and we find ourselves in confined quarters, many of us become sitting ducks for risk of illness. This is especially true in the office environment; we’re around each other for eight (maybe more) hours a day, sharing documents, keyboards, workstations, etc.

While we usually write about topics like how to prevent computer viruses and malware, this time around we’re sharing four tips to help you and your clients stay as healthy and germ-free as possible.

If you’d like to download a white-label version of these tips and share them with your own client base, click the image at the end of this post.

1. Clean Your Keyboard and Mouse with an Approved Electronics Cleaning Cloth or Solution

It is a fairly easy process to clean your keyboard, and worth the effort for sure. Think about it—you dug into the candy dish after multiple people at the office, you and Sally swapped TPS reports, you shook hands with a visitor and you used the doorknob to vacate the restroom. Then, you came back to your keyboard and started typing. You see where I am going with this?

Speak with the office manager to see if you have any approved cleaning solutions on hand, then reach out to your IT solutions provider before moving forward with the scrub down.

2. Don't Eat Around Your Computer

Those crumbs that fall between the keys might as well as be a smorgasboard for infection. If all of those germs described above have collected on your keys as you type away and take a bite of your McMuffin—well, that is pretty gross. You are eating those germs, and then incubating them in your body. Long story short, you may not want to eat at your desk.

3. Wash Your Hands, Please

I know, we are not six years old anymore. Still, too often people neglect to wash their hands or do so properly, hence why I'm reiterating this. Just do it.

A good rule of thumb is to massage the soap into your palms, between the fingers—basically every crack and crevice—while singing through the happy birthday song (in your head). All in all, it is just the respectful thing to do for those around you as well, since it will help prevent the spreading of germs.

4. Sneeze Away from Your Computer

I can't tell you how many co-workers I've witnessed sneezing in their cubicles and not covering up their mouths. As a result, their workspace becomes a breeding ground for whatever ailment they are carrying.

This might sound odd, but when you sneeze, cover your mouth like Count Dracula. Sneezing into your elbow is a good practice when there aren't any tissues readily available, and it can prevent the spreading of germs far greater than sneezing into your hands. As a bonus, keep a roll of cleaning wipes in your desk drawer,and give your work area a good wipe down once a week—or more if needed.

At the end of the day, your body does a pretty good job at fighting off the nasties that we call germs and bacteria. But, it could use an assist every now and then. Give the above tips a try, or, feel free to live in a bubble until Spring arrives. The choice is yours!


Want more quick tips? Download them here:

Download Tech Quick Tips